“No, why?”
“Good, that means I found her in time. The amount she’s taken from people like you over the years. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t hold anything against you. She can be very convincing. What did she say to you? Let me guess. She loves you not because you’re heir to a clan fortune but just conveniently for you? Almost left you then didn’t go back to the future and instead stayed with you for true love?”
Callum found himself nodding. “Aye. She did say that.”
“There is no portal to the future. It’s just part of her…her malady. You can leave her with me now. I’ll make sure she gets the help she needs. I’ve prepared a horse for you. It’s better that way. Some people can get…angry when they find out they’ve been duped by her and we wouldn’t want to hurt her, would we? Not when she’s ill. She doesn’t mean it, you see. Just imagine how I feel? I have to keep chasing her and bringing her home when she goes off after all these different men. I’m not the jealous type though. I’m just glad I got here before it was too late. What is the punishment for bigamy these days?”
“You’re telling me to leave her here?”
“I’m not telling you to do anything. You’re welcome to stay but whenever she sees me, she knows her fun is over. She can say some hurtful things, you see. Liable to hurt you when all you did was fall for her lies. I’m going to go get her and take her home. Do you want to stay to see her swearing and spitting everywhere? I bet she told you I’m the violent one, right?”
Callum nodded, realizing. “You’re Edward, aren’t you?”
“Let me guess. I’m her violent ex partner from the future?”
“Aye.”
“Realize how strange that sounds? That me and her are from the future? She projects her violent tendencies onto me, makes it out as if I’m this awful person because she becomes an animal when she’s caught with a new victim. Best you go and leave me to deal with her. I’ve done it plenty of time before. You get yourself home and no one need know what you fell for.”
Callum was no more than a few hundred yards down the road when he stopped. Something about this didn’t make sense. Fenella had told them about a portal to the future. But then she had talked to Kerry alone for a long time. Was it about this? Was this the truth? He hadn’t seen the portal. Kerry said she almost went through it but maybe the reason she hadn’t was because it didn’t exist.
She had told him nothing solid about the future. It was entirely possible she had made it all up. But why? For his money? No, that didn’t feel right.
The man had been utterly convincing but something wasn’t right.
He wanted answers and he kicked himself for leaving. She was probably still there, fighting off her husband and refusing to leave. He had chance to put some questions to her before they went. Find out the truth.
What was more likely? That the woman he had known for the last week was telling the truth or the strange man he’d just met? There was only one way to find out if he’d just been tricked or not. He would go back and speak to her for himself.
She wasn’t there. The bed chamber was empty apart from a note that had been left in the middle of the bed.
I cannot see you any more. I am sorry for hurting you. Do not come after me. Kerry.
He read it four times before cramming it into a fold of his baldric. She had gone. She didn’t want to see him anymore.
He sank onto the bed and tried to process everything that had happened in the last hour. He’d gone from blissfully happy and thinking he was going to marry the woman he loved to completely alone.
Eventually he got to his feet, making his way slowly to the door. Once he was outside he climbed onto his horse, feeling numb. He rode slowly south.
It was time to go home and get married like his parents had planned. Falling in love had only brought him shock and pain. Better to marry for the sake of a clan alliance like they wanted. Love could remain the domain of the bards who could sing of it while never knowing the damage it caused. He wanted nothing more to do with it.
